Foldable golf club carrier



y 3, 1956 J. F. CONROY ETAL FOLDABLE GOLF CLUB CARRIER Filed Sept. 30, 1955 INVENTORS JOHN F. CONROY RALSTEN G. LEWIS Y JOHN H. POSSElHL,JR

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ATTORNEY llnitecl States Patent FOLDABLE GOLF CLUB CARRIER John Francis Conroy, Ambler, Ralsten C. Lewis, Bryn Mawr, and John H. Possehl, In, Philadelphia, Pa.

Application September 30, 1955, Serial No. 537,836

11 Claims. (Cl. 280-40) This invention relates to improvements in golf club carriers, and has for an object the provision of a lightweight, bagless golf cart of simple construction adapted to carry the golf clubs in an arrangement of optimum balance with their heads downward, and with their handles presented in a convenient position to be grasped by the player when making his selection.

A further object is to provide an improved device of this character wherein the clubs are held in separated parallel positions to prevent their rubbing together While the cart is being maneuvered or while a selected club is being withdrawn from or replaced in the carrier.

Another object is to provide a golf cart having a club retaining member formed with separate recesses for accommodating the various club heads, the recesses being provided with overhanging wall portions corresponding to the pitch of the respective clubs, whereby the club heads are firmly secured in the cart.

An additional object is to provide a golf cart of the foregoing description which may be folded substantially along its principal axis, rendering the device convenient to stow.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description thereof taken in connection with the drawing wherein a presently preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated, and in which:

Fig. l is an exploded perspective View of the golf cart, together with a detachable additional golf club rack by means of which the basic cart may be modified to accommodate an extra set of golf clubs, the additional rack being shown in detached position;

Fig. 2 is an end view of the golf cart in a partly folded condition; and

Fig. 3 is a section taken along line 33 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

As shown in the drawing, the golf cart of the invention comprises a substantially U-shaped frame, indicated generally as 10, formed from a pair of complementary support members 11, 11 hinged together at the closed end of the U, the hinge conveniently taking the form of a stud bolt 12 fixed to the support member 11 and passing through an eye formed in the end of the support member 11. A wing nut 13 is provided on the stud 12 for securing the support members with respect to each other in any of their positions permitted by the hinge.

Undercarriage elements 14 extend angularly forwardly, preferably substantially perpendicular respectively from the lower ends of the support members 11, 11', and carriage wheels 16 are pivotally mounted on the frame adjacent the junctures of the support members with their respectively undercarriage elements 14. The free ends of the undercarriage elements are bent downwardly, as shown at 17, to form supporting legs which in cooperation with wheels 16 provide a foundation for the golf cart. Preferably each of the support members 11, 11' and its respective undercarriage element 14 is formed from a unitary body of light metal, such as tubular aluminum,

whereby the weight of the cart is maintained at a minimum and the manufacturing operations are greatly Simplified.

A pair of golf club retaining members 18 and 19 extend between the support members 11, 11 in spaced relation and parallel to each other when the cart is unfolded, the club retaining members being respectively pivotally mounted on the support members to permit their relative rotary movement with respect to the support members during folding of the apparatus, as will be described more fully hereinafter. The upper club retaining member 18 is hinged intermediate its ends, as at 2t), and its pivotal connection with the support members 11, 11 may be effected by any conventional means, as by pins or studs 21. The latter may be fixed to the member 18 and extend loosely through the respectively support members 11, 11', and the rearward ends of the pins or studs 21 may carry nuts or cotter pins (not shown) to prevent their accidental withdrawal from the support members. The forward face of the club retaining member 18 is provided with a plurality of spring clip members 22, preferably rubber-coated, which are adapted frictionally to hold the handles 23 of the various clubs, as shown.

The lower club retaining member 19 preferably takes the form of a tray which, if desired, may be stamped from sheet metal, shown as 29 (Fig. 3). The retaining member 19 extends between the undercarriage elements 14 and is pivotally connected thereto by means of integral ears 24 formed on the underside of the member 19 adjacent its outer ends, the ears 24 having openings therein through which elements 14 loosely pass, as shown in Fig. 2. Suitable stops (not shown) may be provided on the undercarriage elements 14 to prevent longitudinal movement thereon of the member 19. Recesses 26 are formed in the upper surface of the club retaining member 19 for the accommodation of the various club heads, at least some of the recesses being provided respectively with an overhanging wall portion 27 (Fig. 3) corresponding substantially to the pitch of the club heads adapted to be received in the respective recesses, whereby the club heads are effectively maintained in place in the lower club retaining member. As in the case of the upper club retaining member 18, the member 19 is hinged, as shown at 28, intermediate its pivotal connections with the frame 10, so that the member 19 may fold upwardly when the support members 11, 11' are moved toward one another. Preferably the entire upper surface of the club retaining member 19, including the recesses 26, is coated with rubber or similar material, indicated at 34], to cushion the club heads and to enhance the club retaining quality of the recesses.

One of the support members, e. g., member 11, is provided with a short, integral, rearwardly directed arm 31 terminating behind the pivot stud 12, to which a handle 32 is pivotally attached by any convenient means, as by a stud 33 having a wing nut 34 thereon for locking the handle in any of a plurality of positions relative to the arm 31.

The axes of the hinge members 12, 20 and 28 are all substantially parallel and preferably lie in the plane of symmetry of the frame 10, so that when the support members 11, 11 are moved inwardly toward one an other the club retaining members 18, 19 fold upwardly, whereby the entire apparatus may be collapsed for more convenient storage.

When a set of golf clubs is carried by the cart, the golf club handles 23 thereof are frictionally held by the clip portions 22 and the club heads rest snugly within the recesses 26. In the case of pitched clubs, the club heads are effectively retained in the recesses 26 by the overhanging walls 27, minimizing the likelihood of accidental displacement. Thus the clubs are retained securely in the cart even when the latter is moved over rough terrain, but are nevertheless readily removed by the player as they are needed.

In accordance with the invention, the golf cart maybe adapted to. accommodate two sets of clubs, and for this purpose a rack portion 36 is provided which includes additional upper and lower club retaining members, indieated'respecti'vely as 18' and 19'. The retaining members '18 and 19' are provided respectively with spring clip members 22' and recesses 26, and are hinged intermediate their ends to permit them to be folded when the cart is collapsed, as previously described in connection with the club retaining members 18, 19. The hinge 28 for the lower club retaining member 19' is similar to the aforementioned hinge 28 and permits the member 19 to fold only upwardly from the plane which it occupies when unfolded, as shown in Fig. 1. The hinge for the upper club retaining member 18, however, prefer- "ably takes the form of a bolt 37 provided with a wing nut 38 which permits the halves of the member 18 to be locked in the unfolded, straight-line position shown in Fig; 1, when the rack 36 is attached to the cart.

The retaining members 18', 19" are connected pivotally to the ends of a rigid link 39 which maintains the spacing between these retaining members substantially equal to the spacing between the corresponding retaining members 18, 19.

In order to accommodate the rack portion 36 to the golf cart, the forward edge of the club retaining member 19, adjacent its ends, is provided with forwardly directed cars 40 having apertures 41 therein, and the rear edge of the club retaining member 19 is provided with cor- The rear end of the arm 44 carries an integral hook or channel portion 46 of a size adaptedto fit over the upper retaining member 18 at its hinge 20. A wing bolt 47' extends through the rear wall of the channel portion 46, providing means for holding the club retaining member 18" securely to. the member 18, although spaced therefrom by a distance determined by the length of the arm When the bracket arm 44 is secured to the member 18, and the lugs 43 are in locking engagement with the ears 40, the rack 36 is firmly held to the golf cart.

When attaching the rack 36 to the cart, the. lower club retaining member 19 is first folded upwardly slightly to bring the lugs 43 within the space between the ears 40, and the lugs are aligned with the apertures 41. The member 19 is then completely unfolded, causing the lugs 43 to. enter the apertures 41. The upper part of the rack 36 is fastened to the cart merely by securing the bracket arm 44 to the retaining member 18, as described above. When the rack is so assembled, the halves of the upper club retaining member 18 are arranged in unfolded (linear) alignment parallel to the lower retaining member 19', and this alignment is preserved by tightening the wing nut 38 in the hinge of the club retaining member 18.

The hinge axes of the club retaining members 18, 19 are parallel to the hinge axes of the corresponding members 18, 19, and lie in the same plane therewith, and therefore the entire apparatus, including the rack 36, may be folded about such plane to render it more compact for storage.

It will be. understood that various changes in the construction and arrangement of parts, described and shown herein for purposes of illustration, may be made by those 4 skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention, as defined in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In a golf club carrier, a substantially U-shaped frame formed from a pair of complementary support members hinged together at the closed end of the U, a pair of golf club retaining members extending between said support members in spaced parallel relation and mounted respectively on said support members by pivotal connect-ions, said club retaining members each being hinged intermediate he said pivotal connections, the hinging axes of said support members and of said club retaining members being parallel to one another and disposed substantially in the plane of symmetry of said frame, whereby said frame and said club retaining members may be folded with respect to said plane of symmetry.

2. In a golf club carrier, an inverted substantially U- shaped frame formed from a pair of complementary support members hinged together at the closed end of the U, a golf club retaining member extending between said support members and pivotally connected thereto, undercarriage elements extending angularly forwardly respectively from the lower ends of said support members, and a second golf club retaining member extending between said elements and pivotally connected thereto, said club retaining members being respectively hinged intermediate their said pivotal connections, the hinging axes of said support members and of said club retaining members being parallel to one another and disposed substantially in the plane of symmetry of said frame, whereby said frame and said club retaining members may be folded with respect to said plane of symmetry.

3. Apparatus in accordance with claim 2 wherein said first mentioned club retaining member includes a plurality of forwardly directed clip portions adapted to releasably secure the shafts of golf clubs carried by said apparatus, and said second club retaining member is. provided with upwardly opening recesses adapted to receive the heads of said golf clubs.

4. Apparatus in accordance with claim 3 wherein at least some of said recesses are provided with overhanging wall portions corresponding substantially to the pitch of the club heads they are adapted respectively to receive.

5. A golf club carrier comprising an inverted substantially U-shaped frame formed from a pair of complementary support members hinged together at the closed end of the U, a golf club retaining member extending between said support members and pivotally connected thereto, undercarriage elements extending substantially perpendicularly forwardly respectively from the lower ends of said support members, a second golf club retaining member extending between said elements and pivotally connected thereto, and carriage Wheels secured to said frame adjacent the juncture of said elements with said support members, said club retaining members being respectively hinged intermediate their said pivotal connections, the hinging axes of said support members and of said club retaining members being parallel to one another and disposed substantially in the plane of symmetry of said frame, whereby said frame and said club retaining members may be folded with respect to said plane of symmetry.

6. Apparatus in accordance with claim 5 wherein the free ends of saidundercarriage elements are bent down- Wardly to form supporting legs which in cooperation with said wheels provide a foundation for said golf club carrrer.

7. Apparatus in. accordance. with claim 5 wherein each of said support members and its respective undercarriage club retaining members spaced forwardly respectively of said first and second mentioned club retaining members.

9. In a golf club carrier, a substantially U -shaped frame formed from a pair of complementary support members hinged together at the closed end of the U, a pair of golf club retaining members extending between said support members in spaced parallel relation and secured respectively by pivotal connections to said support members, a second pair of golf club retaining members detachably secured respectively to said first mentioned pair of club retaining members forwardly of the latter, said first mentioned pair of club retaining members each being hinged intermediate its said pivotal connections, each of said second pair of club retaining members being correspondingly hinged intermediate its ends, the hinging axes of all of said club retaining members and of said support members being parallel to one another and disposed substantially in the plane of symmetry of said frame, whereby said frame and said club retaining members may be folded with respect to said plane of symmetry.

10. in a golf club carrier, a substantially U-shaped frame formed from a pair of complementary support members hinged together at the closed end of the U, a pair of golf club retaining members extending between said support members in spaced parallel relation and secured respectively by pivotal connections to said support members, said club retaining members each being hinged intermediate its said pivotal connections, a rack portion including a second pair of spaced parallel club retaining members hinged respectively intermediate their ends, a rigid link pivotally connected at its ends to said second pair of club retaining members to maintain the spacing therebetween substantially equal to the spacing between said first mentioned pair of club retaining members, and means for detachably securing said rack portion to said first mentioned pair of club retaining members, the hinging axes of all of said club retaining members and of said support members being parallel to one another and disposed substantially in the plane of symmetry of said frame, whereby said frame and said club retaining members may be folded with respect to said plane of symmetry.

11. In a golf club carrier, an inverted substantially U- shaped frame formed from a pair of complementary support members hinged together at the closed end of the U, an upper golf club retaining member extending between said support members and pivotally connected thereto, undercarriage elements extending angularly forwardly respectively from the lower ends of said support members, a lower golf club retaining member extending between said elements and pivotally connected thereto, said club retaining members being respectively hinged intermediate their said pivotal connections, a rack portion including upper and lower club retaining members hinged respectively intermediate their ends, a rigid link pivotally connected at its ends to said second mentioned upper and lower club retaining members to maintain the spacing therebetween substantially equal to the spacing between said first mentioned upper and lower club retaining members, said lower club retaining members having cooperating means detachably coupling them to each other, said second mentioned upper club retaining memher having a rearwardly directed arm provided with clamp means at its distal end detachably secured to said first mentioned upper club retaining member, the hinging axes of all of said club retaining members and of said support members being parallel to one another and disposed substantially in the plane of symmetry of said frame, whereby said frame and said club retaining members may be folded with respect to said plane of symmetry.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,435,893 Mall Feb. 10, 1948 2,520,226 Smith Aug. 29, 1950 2,662,776 Hurst Dec. 15, 1953 

